Integration of Odor Stimulus Features during Olfactory Processing

环境中存在的空气传播化学物质（气味）为动物提供了有关食物、潜在伴侣和栖息地的适合性以及捕食者存在等威胁的宝贵信息来源。嗅觉系统使动物能够检测和评估周围环境的化学性质，并适当地调整自己的行为。 单一气味通常是复杂的化学混合物，因为它们是从一个确定的来源释放出来的。 然而，单一的气味不会孤立地出现-它与背景中的其他气味混合。该项目旨在了解大脑在嘈杂的背景下挑选和识别单个气味的机制。 记录将由蛾脑嗅觉中心的单个神经元进行，同时操纵昆虫天线（鼻子）的气味呈现。 这些结果将为大脑代表气味信息的机制提供新的见解，以及这如何有助于将复杂的气味识别为有凝聚力的“对象”。 除了有助于对嗅觉如何工作的基本理解之外，还期望使用害虫作为研究系统，可以为农业社区在监测或破坏昆虫行为方面提供有用的新见解。 昆虫是介绍和吸引K-12学童参与科学过程的绝佳工具，这些适当的活动将成为当前项目的一部分。高中生和本科生也将参加这个项目。

Airborne chemicals (odors) present in the environment provide a valuable source of information for animals about the suitability of food, potential mates and habitats, as well as threats such as the presence of predators. The olfactory system equips animals with the ability to detect and assess the chemical nature of their surroundings and adjust their behavior appropriately. Single odors are often complex chemical mixtures that occur together because they are released from a defined source. However, a single odor does not occur in isolation--it is intermingled with other odors in the background. This project seeks to understand the mechanisms by which the brain picks out and recognizes individual odors against a noisy backdrop. Recordings will be made from single neurons in the olfactory centers of the moth brain while manipulating the presentation of odors to the antenna (nose) of the insect. The results will provide new insights about the mechanisms by which odor information is represented by the brain and how this contributes to the recognition of complex odors as cohesive 'objects'. In addition to contributing to the basic understanding of how the sense of smell works, it is also expected that the use of pest insects, as the study system, may provide novel insights useful to the agricultural community in monitoring or disrupting insect behavior. Insects are excellent tools for introducing and engaging K-12 school children in the scientific process and such appropriate activities will form a part of the current project. High school students and undergraduates will also participate in this project.